28. März 2007

Kakadu National Park - NOW WITH PHOTOS!

Finally I could upload the best photos from my trip to Kakadu:


Matthias the "snake tamer"


Me again with a close up of "my" snake


Boat for the Jumping Crocodile Cruise

First crocodile jump


Second crocodile jump


Croc swiming around his "prey"/the bait


Big croc jumping


Huge waterfall I


Huge waterfall II


Nice little falls


A dragonfly


Our overnight bush camp in the wilderness


Our 4WD


Flodded plain

View over the Kakadu National Park


Aboriginal Rock Art


Explanation of the Rock Art

Da ich nun in Sydney angekommen bin und erstmal schoen geschlafen hab, kann ich nun auf meine 2taegige Tour in den Kakadu-Nationalpark zurueckblicken, was ich wie mittlerweile ueblich in englisch tun werde.
My trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Kakadu National Park was great right from the start. The first stop was at South Alligator River where we had breakfast and where we also could hold snakes! But that experience was just the beginning because the next adventure was the Jumping Crocodile Cruise where we saw these rehistoric but still very living creatures really near from the safety of a boat!
Then we had to drive a long way and even 150 km more than in the Dry season because the northern entry is closed during the Wet... After lunch we went for a nice swim by hiking 3 km up to a beautiful waterfall. Afterwards we drove further north to our bush camp where we had a tasty dinner that we prepared together and after a couple of beers I fell asleep quickly and woke up shortly after the others. After breakfast we went to a really nice lookout. But we had to climb quite a steep hill in the burning sun at 32 degrees Celsius to have a wide view over the near Nourlangie Rock and the park in general. Then we were heading off to Nourlangie Rock where I lost the group for a while and enjoyed the Aboriginal rock art (paintings that are up to 35.000 years old!), a nice hike to a lookout and the view from that point on my own. After joining the group again I visited the Aboriginal Culture Center with them and learned a lot about the indigenous culture (languages, social relations, hunting, education and so on) in the Kakadu area. Before we enjoyed our last swim in a bigger waterhole we had lunch after a short stop at a little waterhole for refreshing ourselves a bit in between. Then we already had to leave this beautiful place that ovbtained as one of a few places in the world the UNESCO World Heritage award for both its cultural AND natural particularity!
All in all it was a good decision to see Litchfield and Kakadu although two days in the Wet is not really enough.

25. März 2007

"Political" street signs

Here are some great street signs from Australia ;-)


A new one: keep left, even on the escalator


Time to go for the right wing


Do the right thing: Turn left


Here it's the only way: Go left


No, no: Wrong direction...


Keep left - Smash right

Just before going to Kakadu

Today I will see Antje as I did yesterday evening. But tomorrow I'm off to Kakadu National Park for two days. Therefore you will hear from me in the middle of next week when I will already be in Sydney...

24. März 2007

Posts refreshed: Irish Dances und text to army pic

1. At last you can enjoy two videos of Irish dancing performances during St. Patrick's Day in Darwin!
See post from 19/03/2007.

2. The text of the army publicity poster is complete!
See post from 22/03/2007.

Litchfield National Park: videos

Beside the pics I took some videos. Here are the top four.


Wangi Falls


In the bus with Didgeridoo music


Brave lizard 1


Brave lizard 2

Litchfield National Park: pictures


Huge 60 year old Magnetic Termites Mound
Riesiger, 60 Jahre alter Termitenbau


Another big Termite Mound


Florence Falls


Florence Falls with a rainbow


Me in front of the Florence Falls


Swimming in the natural pool filled by Florence Falls


Wangi Falls


Wangi Falls


Another big waterfall



Another big waterfall without this strange big guy ;-)


A big lizard without fear of human beings


Another fearless lizard


Our tour bus shortly before the end of the great trip

I think the pictures speak for themselves: The tour to Litchfield National Park was really great! It was a nice mix between wilderness, interesting information, a little hiking, swimming and relaxing: thumbs up!

22. März 2007

Pictures of the sea, sunsets and the army


View from the NT Library on the sea


Sunset seen from my hostel


Sunset seen from my hostel


Sunset seen from the beach near the Arts Museum

Two pictures of a recruiting poster in Darwin

Text should be quite easy to read


Text:
Every soldier an expert in close combat
Every soldier a leader
Every soldier physically tough
Every soldier mentally prepared
Every day an opportunity to learn
Every an opportunity for courage
Every an opportunity for initiative
Every challenge an opportunity for teamwork

The last two pics from the army recruitment center shows the srong military influence on Darwin that is the leading military base of Australia since WWII (2nd World War). When I arrived at the airport and got a tourist brochure the first "sightseeing tip" was about all the war monuments in Darwin. For me as a pacifist it was quite shocking that the army is shown in such a positive light. And I knew nothing about Darwin's military character and history. Now I'm better informed...

Contre les OGM: Stoppt Gentechnik im Essen

Da ich erst morgen den ersten Nationalpark besuche, kann ich auf eine Aktion von Greenpeace in Frankreich aufmerksam machen: AktivistInnen haben mit dem Auskippen einer Ladung Gen-Mais vor dem Buero des wahrscheinlich kuenftigen Praesidenten Nicolas Sarkozy gegen dessen Haltung zu Gentechnik demonstriert. Dies zeigt folgendes Video.



Und nun widme ich mich nach einer wunderbaren Faulenzphase dann doch meiner naechsten Hausarbeit ueber Direkte Demokratie in Deutschland...

21. März 2007

Auf in die Nationalparks?!

Hab mich gerade ueber moegliche Touren in die naheliegenden Nationalparks Litchfield und Kakadu informiert. Werde da heute noch was buchen und vielleicht morgen frueh schon wegfahren. Ich melde mich dann spaetestens uebermorgen wieder, um von morgen zu berichten, so ich denn fahre...

20. März 2007

SGE macht die Bayern platt :-))

Ausnahmsweise gibt's Sportnews aus Deutschland, und zwar von der Partie Eintracht Frankfurt gegen den FC Bayern Muenchen vom vergangenen Wochenende.
Der Post ist fuer alle, die das Hammertor von Preuss noch nicht gesehen haben oder es nochmal geniessen wollen. Hier also der mustergueltige Fallrueckzieher zum 1:0 fuer die Eintracht aus Frankfurt!



Habt ihr auf Hitzfelds Gesichtsausdruck geachtet...?

Wem das Tor nicht reicht, kann sich hier eine achtminuetige Zusammenfassung des Spiels reinziehen.

Genau im richtigen Moment hat sich die Eintracht etwas Luft im Abstiegskampf verschafft, weiter so!

19. März 2007

St. Patrick's Day: Now with videos !!!

At last you can enjoy two videos of Irish dancing performances during St. Patrick's Day in Darwin!







Irish dancing performance


The Irish Pub "Shenannigans" on St. Patrick's Day

18. März 2007

New pics from Darwin


Me before having shaved off my little beard


The swimming pool of my hostel


The Wisdom: here can you get 150 different beers, e.g. the good old German Hansa Pils


The NT Parliament House


Inside the NT Parliament House/Library


Exhibition of Aboriginal Art in the NT Library


View on the sea before sunset
 
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